Broken Soul
by Blue Rose 01
Summary: Itachi was never truly able to put his past behind him and turns to Sakura for comfort and security. He shows her his vulnerable side and she promises to protect his broken soul. Oneshot. ItaSaku ItachixSakura. Enjoy! :D angsty-goodness :


**Broken Soul**

Summary: Itachi was never truly able to put his past behind him and turns to Sakura for comfort and security. He shows her his vulnerable side and she promises to protect his broken soul. Oneshot

_I kind of fixed it, near the end, i added a bit more dialogue between Itachi and Sakura to extend the emotion a bit more? So, I'd appreciate your comments and suggestions. :D thanks for reading_

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me… sadly. It belongs to Masahashi Kishimoto

_Enjoy (:_

_-_

_Uchiha Itachi woke up with a start. _

His eyes darted around, adjusting to the dark room. He gripped the closest thing nearest to him in a vice-like grip: someone's wrist. His companion opened her eyes in alarm before softening considerably. He often relived the night of the massacre in his dreams, but tonight felt more vivid than ever before, even more so than the actual night itself. This time was different; there was someone else at the compound. Someone else he killed, watched as the life was drained from their eyes and that someone was currently lying with him in his bed and had been for years now. Haruno Sakura. What did this mean? He would never hurt his blossom; he'd sooner kill himself than allow that to happen. Even knowing that, the fear that gripped his heart was completely foreign to him and he didn't know how to deal with it.

A myriad of emotions passed through his lover's soft green eyes. First, alarm at being awakened in such a manner, at the vice-like grip he had on her wrist but couldn't bring himself to release. Second, the confusion that shone in her eyes at _why_ he was holding on to her so desperately and looking at her with a look he was certain he'd be ashamed of. Third, fear, probably at seeing a man such as himself reduced to a state of helplessness. Next, he saw the understanding as it donned on her what exactly was happening. Lastly, he saw compassion as she allowed him to search her eyes for the peace and reassurance he so desperately needed right now. She brought her hand to cup his cheek and brushed a few stray strands from his face before gathering him in her arms.

Her embrace was welcomed as Itachi encircled his own arms around her petite waist and held on tightly. He knew that he must have been squeezing her tighter than she was comfortable with, but she only pulled him closer and placed gentle kisses on his forehead. He couldn't pry himself from her and since she wasn't complaining, he figured it was okay to indulge in his selfishness, just this once.

-

_Haruno Sakura woke up with a start._

Something gripped her arm so tight, she nearly cried out. She feared her wrist was broken with the force holding her, but she did not scream; she knew who it was. Her eyes opened in alarm at what might have happened and she woke up face to face with Uchiha Itachi. There he lay beside her and the look on his face almost caused tears to fall from her bleary eyes. His eyes held a look of such brokenness; it caused an uncomfortable pang in her chest, causing it to tighten. She had never seen such a look on him before; throughout their entire relationship, he had showed nothing betraying this pain she saw now. Itachi's charcoal grey eyes seemed to search her own emerald orbs for an answer she was unsure how to give. What was he asking for; what did he need?

_Security._

The pure and blatant _need _for it shone through his eyes and Sakura brought her hand up to move the hair from his face. It was all she could do to keep herself from crying at Itachi's apparent helplessness. This side of him scared her…a lot. She had always seen him as invincible, her pillar of strength protection and here he was, staring back at her with hollow eyes. Would she remember this the next time she sought him out for help or company? However, another part of her was thrilled; not at his vulnerability, but at the fact that he had chosen to show her and even looked to her for refuge. Perhaps Itachi wasn't as emotionless and efficient as a shinobi as he wanted her to believe. It seemed as though his past came back to haunt him and if she was correct, he was dwelling on _that _night; the night of the Uchiha massacre. There was nothing she could say, so she chose to remain silent until Itachi found whatever it was he was looking for as he stared into her eyes and what felt like her soul. Those eyes, even with the sharingan deactivated, it seemed as though he could see right _through _her and into the depths of her soul.

Sakura wanted nothing more than to protect this broken soul in front of her who needed a home. She reached up and pulled him to her chest. He let go of her wrist and in response, wrapped his arms around her lithe waste and held on with such force that she would have thought he was _trying _to hurt her. But she didn't mind it; she wanted to be the one he'd seek out whenever he felt this way. To be the one he would squeeze the life out of when he needed someone to hold through the night. It was exhilarating to have such a powerful shinobi wrapped around her, holding on to her for dear life. Sakura would protect this man in her arms and make sure the world never knew that he had been reduced to such a state. She wanted to be his shield to make sure he'd never have to go through anymore of these traumatic experiences.

Is this how he felt whenever he ran to him and cried about losing her friends, family, everyone she loved? Is this how he felt when she curled up beside him and clutched to his shirt and bawled her eyes out as he held her and rubbed slow circles on her back, whispering gentle words of comfort into her hair? This feeling of protectiveness and possessiveness overwhelmed her and she felt like a mother, protecting her children. Sakura ran her hands through his soft raven locks, which she found to be as comforting to her as it was for him. She held him carefully, waiting until he fell asleep before she allowed her own eyelids to droop closed.

-

The next morning, Itachi was back to his old, emotionless self with no indication that his near breakdown had ever happened, but Sakura didn't mind. She was content with knowing she was the one he sought out and held onto. They proceeded to prepare for their mission that day in the comfortable silence they had long gotten used to, occasionally brushing shoulders as they passed each other.

"We leave at dawn," he told her.

"Right," she beamed up at him.

-

The enemy shinobi—and their target—stared warily forward at his opponent. Itachi regarded the nameless ninja with a cold, calculating gaze, simply waiting for him to make the first move. After what felt like an eternity, the sound ninja thrust forward, katana in hand, and his battle cry penetrated the air. Itachi dodged easily and pulled out his own katana, effectively slicing his enemy's leg. They continued their battle, but Itachi began to get impatient and decided to end it quickly.

"Amaterasu," Itachi's cold tenor penetrated the eerie silence of the night. The black flames incinerated his targets. Their blood-curling screams of agony echoed throughout the burnt and ashen battlefield. It was finished. They hadn't gotten a mission as bloody as this in a long time and he wasn't looking forward to the next one they got.

"_Shit," _he heard his teammate's quiet curse. Itachi wasted no time in dashing off towards the voice. It didn't take long and the image that greeted him would have made a lesser ninja turn around and hurl. Sakura was badly injured, but what caught his attention was the gaping hole in her stomach. He assumed she had stopped the bleeding seeing as it wasn't oozing blood and guts at the moment. Even without the aid of medical chakra, he could see she had several broken ribs, and ruptured her more vital organs through the disturbingly large hole. Her clothes were torn and bloody and one wouldn't even be able to tell their original color.

"Sakura," he swiftly dropped by her side and set her torso on his lap.

"Itachi," she huffed.

"Heal yourself," he demanded—no wait…pleaded?

"I—" she huffed "I can't. I don't have any more chakra."

After his own battle, and using the Amaterasu, he didn't have much chakra left either, however, he was willing to supply her with all that he had to help her through this. "I will supply you with my own."

Sakura didn't say anything as he placed his hand to the core of her chakra system and began to force his own into her system. She lifted a hand to his bleeding eye and used the chakra to stop the bleeding and reverse the damage. He immediately ceased the chakra flow and moved his head away from her hand.

"No, I do not need it," Itachi's voice was raw and coarse, but he couldn't find it in himself to care at the moment.

"Please, let me," she nearly pleaded. She reached for him and he couldn't help but hold her hand, though he still refused to let him heal her.

"Sakura, heal yourself," he repeated, though lacking the appropriate authority.

She shook her head and tucked her face into his neck. "I'm tired, Itachi."

He knew those words, she was ready to give in, she wasn't even going to try anymore. "Sakura, do not sleep, heal yourself." Once again, he started transferring the chakra to her system.

Sakura shook her head again. "Don't waste your energy, it's not enough." She coughed blood. "Ne…"

"Do not speak, save your energy. I will take you to Konoha. The Hokage will be able to heal you there."

"Itachi…" she paused to heave a few heavy breaths, "I…" he felt warm tears on his neck and he knew she was crying, a rare occurrence for her. "I'm going to die," she whispered.

A moment of silence passed between them and Itachi allowed himself to deny the truth.

"You are not going to die, Sakura," he insisted, almost desperately.

"It's okay, I'm happy because…you're here. I…I love you, Itachi." She pulled away from his neck weakly and looked up at him, offering the brightest smile she could muster at the moment.

"I love you too, Sakura," brought his lips to hers after quietly speaking those five words. Then, he felt something completely foreign to him, something he hadn't felt since he was about two years old… A few salty tears slid down his cheek and onto hers. The unfamiliar stinging of his eyes surprised Itachi, but he didn't think twice about the humiliating action. His entire attention was devoted solely to the woman in his arms.

"Don't be sad, I'll watch over you."

Itachi held her hands tighter in his own and her heartbreaking smile widened a fraction of an inch, fully accepting her impending death in her lover's arms. Death was not a foreign concept to him and he never regretted nor dwelled on the past lives of his partners, comrades, even his own family. He knew she there was no longer any chance of saving her; his mind knew, but his heart continued to deny it

"Ne, Itachi, could you… do me one…last…favor?"

"Anything."

Sakura simply looked into his deep grey eyes, "Kill me…it…it hurts so much." Tears slid down her cheek through her smile.

"No, Sakura." _No. _He would not allow his dream to become a reality.

"Please…I just…I want it to stop." Her once lively emerald orbs faded into a jaded, grayish version of their original color.

'_I'd sooner kill myself than allow that to happen,' _he had once told himself.

"I will give you my chakra to ease the pain," he suggested.

"Why prolong the inevitable?"

"I cannot do that, Sakura, I'm sorry." His voice was completely torn and raw. He hugged her to him gently and began to numb her pain with his chakra.

"Itachi, please…let me go…" Sakura sounded so heartbreakingly weak, that he couldn't help but mull the choice in his mind. She gripped onto his arm, waiting his answer.

"Very well," Itachi nodded gingerly, but before taking her life, he kissed her deeply _one last time. _He pushed his chakra into her system, ceasing the blood flow to her heart, and ultimately, to the rest of her body.

"Thank you," were her final words as she slipped away from him.

"I shall see you soon," he whispered into her hair. He raised his katana and aimed it straight into his heart.

'_Forgive me, Sasuke. You won't be able to take your revenge after all.'_

Itachi took one final look at the fading world around him and set his eyes on his lover as he took her hand in his.

-

**A/N:  
**Not too much dialogue in the beginning of this one, sorry. I just thought it would be a bit more solemn and fitting if it was nearly wordless.

Hope you liked it (: I'm not sure what it is, but it just seems a bit hollow. It feels like a lot is missing and yeah... I realize Itachi is a bit OOC, I apologize for that. My goal is to bring tears to my readers' eyes, and if I couldn't this time, then I hope my next tragedy will? (: Thanks for reading!

Reviews are highly appreciated! :D

-Ja


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